


Tadashi Needs to Chill

by Bluedragonstorm



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Dorks in Love, M/M, Multi, Yamaguchi Tadashi-centric, dumb boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-25
Updated: 2018-04-25
Packaged: 2019-04-27 14:21:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14427300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluedragonstorm/pseuds/Bluedragonstorm
Summary: In his second year of high school, Hinata Shouyou entered into a romantic relationship. His partner was a first-year transfer from Yamagata Prefecture named Takahiro Kobayashi...To be quite honest, there wasn’t a single thing wrong with him. And yet Yamaguchi Tadashi couldn’t shake the feeling that there were actually SEVERAL things wrong with Kobayashi.





	Tadashi Needs to Chill

In his second year of high school, Hinata Shouyou entered into a romantic relationship. His partner was a first-year transfer from Yamagata Prefecture named Takahiro Kobayashi. Kobayashi was exactly 188 cm tall, a shooting guard on the basketball, and had a deep full voice that drew everyone’s attention. The other students thought of him as easy-going (though perhaps a bit dumb considering how often he stayed after school for supplementary lessons) and he was generally liked by anyone he met. To be quite honest, there wasn’t a single thing wrong with him. And yet, Yamaguchi Tadashi couldn’t shake the feeling that there were actually SEVERAL things wrong with Kobayashi.

 

Tadashi felt that it…while it wasn’t exactly _his_ duty to look after Karasuno’s high-flying middle blocker, he just felt that he _should_ look into the unsettling feeling that stirred around whenever he saw the taller boy leaned against the wall outside, diligently holding onto Hinata’s bike. If anyone had some sort of real obligation to defend the honor of their number ten or whatever this was, it would have to be either Kageyama or Ennoshita. Kageyama was, after all, Hinata’s volleyball partner/rival/best friend. There was even a short period of time where Nishinoya had almost convinced the freak duo to become blood brothers but thankfully Ukai ended that before it even truly began. 

 

Regardless, the bond between those two was pretty much carved into their souls. In fact, there was a great deal of speculation about whether or not they were actually boyfriends or secretly engaged (Nekoma’s Lev really isn’t that bright) but the thought of being together like that seemed to physically pain them. Hinata actually looked ill when the topic came up.

 

Ennoshita’s investment in the matter would have come from less of a weird platonic, yet also oddly familial place and more from his dedication to the team. After accepting the captaincy from Daichi, the boy had made it his life’s goal to continue Karasuno’s path of success and bring pride to the graduated third-years. Though it was a bit strange at first to see the number one emblazoned on Ennoshita’s chest, his commitment to the team and his new position was unquestionable. 

 

Tadashi couldn’t say he preferred Ennoshita over Daichi or vice versa, but he did notice that Ennoshita made a point to work with every member of the team one-on-one more often than his predecessor. Where the team’s confidence in Daichi’s role had been built around his sturdy presence and perseverance, looking towards him as the mountain that weathered the storm, they all viewed Ennoshita as a sort of nomad, not so much facing the storm but moving calmly alongside of it, teaching everyone else how to best survive using their own skills and assets.

 

It honestly made Tadashi feel warm and even a little proud to see that Ennoshita had grown into a trustworthy and capable captain after he had been so upset by his time off the team. It spoke volumes about Tadashi’s own confidence and growth as well, that he could think of the developments of his teammates without that tiny twinge of jealousy affecting his heart. And truthfully all of them had grown so much. Aside from the newer quicks and moves his friends had learned, Hinata’s spikes were a touch faster and definitely stronger, not to mention his receiving was LIGHTYEARS ahead of the—admittedly rather pathetic—attempts of the past.

 

The power behind Tanaka’s spikes also grew, likely as a way to fill the void of losing their ace. Nishinoya, too, had cleaned up his libero setting because he “had to be even cooler now to give his new kouhais something to look up to.” Tadashi distinctly remembered thinking that no one could actually look up to such a short player. It was a testament to Tsukki’s growth that the blond didn’t actually say that out loud (he still texted it to Tadashi later though.) 

 

The three new first years were pretty good too. Tadashi had a particular fondness towards Akiyama Naozumi-kun, a boy who could almost pass as Bokuto Koutaro’s body double, yet was as docile as a sheep. Despite his muscle mass, the gentle giant was a blocker through-and-through, preferring to use his large palms and massive arms to defend the court rather than be on the attack as a spiker. Narita and Kinoshita had taken the Nakamura twins, Koichi and Kousuke, under their proverbial crow wings to mold the two bubbly first-years into the perfect all-rounders. And it was honestly working out well; Narita taught them how to block as they all shared a similar height and the twins couldn’t exactly mimic Tsukki’s reach, Hinata’s jump, or Naozumi’s broad form. 

 

Similarly, Kinoshita helped with their spiking and taught them serving when Tadashi and Kageyama were otherwise occupied. Not that Kageyama was good at teaching others to serve. He just sort of…displayed his own skill, then stared expectedly like the firsties would have absorbed it through osmosis or something. Naozumi-kun was too polite to say anything, but Koichi burst into frustrated tears after fifteen minutes of the genius setter’s “teaching” and it took another three for Kousuke to calm his brother down, five Yachi to get Hinata to stop calling Kageyama a dumb jerk, and one well-delivered threat from Ukai for Kageyama to stop trying to cave their only decoy’s head in with an aggressive head-squish. 

 

So Kageyama doesn’t really teach anymore. But all of that is fine and well and good and normal. A new normal, for sure. One without Suga’s peaceful smiles and rib-cracking smacks, Daichi’s smooth voice becoming dangerous when they got too rowdy, Asahi’s gentle encouragement and shoulder pats…but it was normal. 

 

Or at least it was until the third week of practice ended and the squeak of rubber soles on the gym floor and the bickering of the twins over who swept the floor faster—Yachi actually timed them and Kousuke won by a hair—was interrupted by three loud raps on the closed door.

 

The first years had been curious and a bit confused, but everyone else felt a chill go through them as they all collectively recalled a particular incident involving a certain vice principle and his, ah, well…it was probably best to call it his important belonging. Yachi was a lot less shy and anxious around people but she’s still incredibly empathetic so, sensing the disturbance in the others, she half-hid behind Takeda-sensei with her clipboard clutched in her little hands.

 

Ennoshita, after shooting a deadly look towards the freak duo, opened the doors and there he was. Takahiro Kobayashi, wearing his practice gear and holding a large Pocari bottle in his right hand, flashed the shocked captain a big grin and asked if he could speak to their number ten.

 

Of course, that led to even more confusion among the volleyball team, but Hinata stepped forward nonetheless, head held high and fist only shaking slightly, “I’m number ten, w-wanna fight?” His brown eyes darted up and down the taller boy before flicking to Kageyama, who gave the tiniest of nods. Apparently, that meant he would back his partner if a fight actually did occur because Hinata relaxed minutely.

 

Kobayashi shook his head and used his empty hand to scratch at his neck, “Ah, no. I just wanted to meet the cute senpai from tv. Maybe get him to sign my bottle.”

 

“C-c-c-CUTE?!” 

 

Hinata turned pink very quickly and sputtered at the other boy, hands gesticulating wildly, “I’m NOT cute. Just ‘cuz I’m small doesn’t mean I’m cute! You’re not handsome just ‘cuz you’re tall, huh? Haa?! Right! AND—,” he paused with his pointer finger inches from Kobayahi’s chest, “wait, sign? Like my name? An autograph.”

 

“Oh look, the shrimp does know some big words.” “Shh, Tsukki!” 

 

“Yeah, an autograph.”

“Why?”

 

The younger teen’s eyebrows scrunched together but his smile was still pretty big, “I said you were cute, right? I think I did. I was supposed to say that. You’re supposed to chomp-compim, uh…you say nice things when you want to date someone. Our vice-captain said that.”

 

“Are you serious? Does this guy actually have a lower IQ than _our_ idiots?” “SHHH, TSUKKI!”

“No, this has to be recorded for posterity, Yamaguchi.” “Tsukki, I swear—“

 

“Okay.”

 

Silence.

 

“Okay? As in okay, okay? You’ll sign my boyfriend, I mean be my sign friend? Wait, be my bottle? Dammit, Moto-senpai told me to write it down.” The taller boy started to panic pretty badly, patting all over himself like he was searching for something and refusing to look at anyone. He wasn’t turning pink like Hinata, or it least it wasn’t noticeable with his darker skin, but he certainly looked really flustered.

 

Hinata took a hesitant step forward and placed his hand and the bottle, causing the other boy to freeze abruptly. The shorter of the two gently tugged the bottle from the other’s grip and placed his other hand out for a marker.

 

Kobayashi blinked, looked at the bottle, at Hinata’s open palm, back at the bottle.

 

“Ummm…I…don’t have a marker.” What was this, some sort of bizarre comedy show?

 

But instead of freaking out or staring at the train wreck that was this interaction and this awkward, dumb basketball player, Hinata just laughed. A really sweet, genuine, melodic laugh that made the tension fade out the room entirely and caused Kobayashi to let out a loud laugh of his own.

 

“Ha, wow, this is really…wow. Um, since practice is over how about we go get a marker from the convenience store? Oh and some meat buns, I’m STARVING!”

 

Kobayashi agreed and then the two of them just said a quick goodbye and left. To go buy a marker and food for their convenience store date. What. The. Actual. He-

 

“I actually have a bunch of markers in my bag. Shou-chan could have borrowed one,” Yachi said softly.

 

********

 

Flash-forward a month and a half later and Kobayashi proved to be a near-constant presence in Tadashi life, by virtue of being a near-constant presence in Hinata’s. When the former first-year squad sat together for lunch and Tadashi tried talking to Hinata about practicing jump serves that weekend, Kobayashi was there, dragging his two best friends from his team to meet “his cute boyfriend who can totally jump up and kiss his cheek if he wanted to, he can just jump THAT HIGH, guys!”

 

When the vending machine gave Tadashi an extra guava soda that he knew Tsukki wouldn’t even glance twice at and he thought that Hinata might like it because he liked those guava candies and he swung by the redhead’s classroom to hand it to him, Kobayashi was there, dropping off the math textbook that had gotten mixed in with Kobayashi’s stuff when he had offered to carry Hinata’s things that morning.

 

When Tsukki was introducing Tadashi to this really cool Western band that played these songs that all felt like weird dreams, Glass something-or-other, in the courtyard during break, KOBAYASHI WAS THERE LEANING DOWN TO KISS HINATA ON THE _MOUTH_. And the cool band didn’t really matter anymore because this was the fifth time in the last seventy-three hours that Tadashi had seen those two boys kiss and he _did not_ want to see it another time.

 

“-uchi, Yamaguchi. _Tadashi!_ ” 

 

Tadashi jumped, turning to his best friend, “What? You scared me, damn!”

 

“Oh, I scared you? You’re burning tunnels into those moron’s heads and you’re the one who’s afraid?”

 

Tadashi blinked and felt his lips melt into a frown as he stared down at the pavement under his feet. There was a little crack with some weeds bursting through. Hinata said something about that last year, about plants and concrete and Japan-er, Ushijima. The decoy didn’t say much to Tadashi anymore though. 

 

Recently they didn’t get much of a chance to talk about anything except during volleyball practice and even then, it wasn’t like Tadashi could set for his friend all the time. There were other players. He needed to work on his float serve. Hinata liked Kageyama’s tosses the most. 

 

Tsukishima sighed and it managed to sound a little more world-weary than his normal sighs, “Couldn’t have gotten a crush on the half of the freak duo that isn’t taken?”

 

Oh. Oh no. Tadashi felt really cold all of a sudden. Or maybe really hot. Oh no, not now, no, no, no, no. Shut up, Tsukki, stupid Tsukki, there’s no way—

 

“Crap, you didn’t even notice did you?” 

 

“OF COURSE I DIDN’T N—of course I didn’t! I stopped thinking about crushes around the time you rejected me, Kei.”

 

Ah, damn, that came out wrong. Nice going, Tadashi. Jerk. It’s not like Tsukki chose to be aro-ace to spite you and your feelings. Dammit.

 

“…I’m gonna go ahead and assume you’re already spiraling into an anxious, self-deprecating void and that you’re sorry for saying something you don’t actually mean.”

 

A nod was the blond’s only response, so he just rolled his eyes and shoved his iPod into his best friend’s hands, “Playlist Three is for balancing your mood. Mom’s making nabe, so come over tonight and take whatever’s leftover home with you.”

 

“Thanks, Tsukki.” “Shut up, Yamaguchi.”

 

********

 

Coming to the conclusion, or rather being led to it by the ever-observant Tsukishima Kei, that he had a crush on Hinata Shouyou was…it was something all right. The thing is, he could deal with the crush itself, that was fine. He hadn’t let his past crushes affect him too negatively. Did it hurt when Mifune threw his Valentine’s card away back in middle school? Yeah. But he moved on. Did his heart shrivel up and set itself on fire when Kei told him that he could never see him that way? Yeah. But Kei was still his best friend and he truly valued that more than whatever he had imagined dating the other boy would have been like. Plus, unlike with Mifune, that rejection wasn’t contingent on his own shortcomings.

 

So Tadashi could handle this newfound affection for the little orange ball of energy. What he couldn’t seem to handle was Kobayashi. After careful consideration, Tadashi realized that the worst thing about the guy was that he honestly, truly, seemed like a good fit for Hinata. He could eat just as much as the decoy, yell just as loud when excited, and he was always happy and kind, especially to his boyfriend.

 

And he was dumb, even dumber than most of the volleyball-fixated boys Tadashi had the pleasure of playing with or against, but he cared about Hinata a whole lot. And Hinata gave as good as he got. The two went to every game for each other that they could or sent each other off with long good luck texts (Hinata showed Yachi some of them when they were supposed to be studying and Tadashi caught a glimpse of about fourteen sparkle emojis.) Hinata bought them matching black and orange sweatbands, which both wore proudly during their respective practices. Kobayashi convinced the third-years to let him pay for Hinata’s meat buns every day.

 

Even their height difference was less odd and more endearing? It was kind of amusing when they stood side by side. It was sort of cute that Kobayashi still towered over Hinata even when the two were seated together. It was disgustingly sweet when the shooting guard tugged the redhead against his chest and hunched over just enough to kiss his partner’s forehead. Or when Hinata proved that he could, in fact, jump high enough to peck Kobayashi on the cheek.

 

A crush, Tadashi could handle. But jealousy? It festered in his gut, it made his hands twitch, it made looking Hinata in the eye harder, it made the urge to prove somehow that he was good enough—maybe even better—for the decoy swell in his chest. But realistically, he wasn’t. He was just selfish and bitter and yeah, he was more confident before about a lot of things but not this. Not…romance or dating or whatever. 

 

Tadashi didn’t think that Hinata was that way either. Not that Hinata wasn’t charming or good with people, because he really was. But Tadashi assumed that he was a.) too focused on volleyball to date seriously and b.) into girls. He was clearly wrong on both accounts. Or maybe not exactly, he shouldn’t make assumptions about other people’s preferences. Maybe Hinata was bi like him. Maybe he was just into Kobayashi and only Kobayashi. Thinking like that made his chest feel tight.

 

It took about two weeks of feeling like scum for hating the guy that was making his crush happy for Tadashi to man up and do something. Right after practice ended, Tadashi asked to talk to Hinata and his boyfriend alone behind the equipment shed. Both boys seemed confused and rightly so, but they dutifully set off to the destination. When the three passed by Tsukki, long thin fingers brushed against his wrist. Kei wasn’t great at verbal encouragement nor was he a very tactile person. But he always provided Tadashi with emotional support, in his own way. It helped, more than Tadashi could say.

 

The conversation was stilted, awkward, uncomfortable and every other synonym for unpleasant that Tadashi could conjure up. He started out with his eyes glued to the clasped hands of Kobayashi and Hinata. He didn’t think they were even aware of it, but he couldn’t take his eyes off it, that little proof of their affection and union and here he was trying to…to?

 

Break them apart? Confuse them? Hurt them? None of those sounded appealing or felt right in his heart. He wanted to be with Hinata obviously, but he cared a lot more about Hinata’s own feelings…right? But if he kept everything in, pushed things down and lied to himself, burned with envy beside them all the time, wouldn’t that just ruin things as well? These were the questions he had been thinking over again and again for days; now that he was in front of them, he just…he needed to say something.

 

“I’m upset.”

 

Wow, excellent. Really summed it all up clearly there, Tadashi. Guess you can leave now, everything’s resolved.

 

“About what? Is it…it’s not us, is it? Because I like you, I do, you’re a great friend and teammate but if there is a problem—“

 

“Oh, no, Hinata, no it isn’t like that. I mean it sort of is, wait, I just mean. Ugh! I’m upset at you two but not at _you two_.”

 

Hinata’s eyes, which had taken on that burning intensity, blinked rapidly. Kobayashi let go of the smaller hand in his and used it to pull his boyfriend close. His eyes were pretty cold in comparison, “I don’t get it. Is there a problem or not?”

 

“I like Hinata.”

 

“You, what?”

 

“I like Hinata. Romantically. I have a crush on your boyfriend. It probably started before you got together, but I didn’t really understand it until I started seeing you with him and it made me…I’m jealous. I’m jealous and I’m trying to stop and I don’t want to feel like this or make this your problem or have it affect my friendship with you, Hinata, or our team but—“

 

“Stop, stop, stop.” Hinata brought up a hand and Tadashi’s mouth closed immediately.

 

“So…you like me?”

 

A nod.

 

“And you don’t like Kobayashi?”

 

Another nod.

 

“Because he’s with me? Because he…asked me out first?”

 

“Yeah.”  


“And that’s the only reason you don’t like him.”

 

Tadashi hummed lowly, “I…I guess that’s it, yeah. He’s nice and all. He makes you happy and I like that. I just…I wish it was me.”

 

Kobayashi’s grip tightened around Hinata’s waist and he looked from his boyfriend to Tadashi and back again. Kobayashi frowned and his brows furrowed almost comically before he spoke, “If…you know…Shou’s great. I get why you have a crush. But he’s mine and I’m his. I love him.”

 

“…You love me?”

 

“Oh, dammit. I didn’t, uh, I was gonna wait to say that. I mean I said it before, but not when you could hear me. Sorry. Uh. What we were talking about a second ago though, I just wanted to say that. Alright, so I l-love Shou. And I think he—“

 

“Of course I love you.”

 

“Oh. Cool. Awesome. Nice. Great. Yeah. Yeah, so he loves me. And that’s…more than _that_ ,” the basketball player finished, gesturing vaguely at Tadashi.

 

Hinata nodded, looking apologetic but still flushed with pleasure from his boyfriend’s confession.

 

“He’s right, Tadashi. I like you, but I love him.” Oh. So that’s what his name sounds like from Hinata’s mouth; all soft, sad, and breathy. It was beautifully painful or painfully beautiful. He wasn’t really sure.

 

“Could you, though? I mean…if things were different, if I figured it out sooner?”

 

“Could I what?”

 

“Love me?”

 

“Oh. Oh, Tadashi,” he called out quietly, and then there were small but toned arms wrapped around Tadashi’s torso. Hinata was warm. Really warm. He stood there frozen in the embrace for a moment before he slowly and carefully returned the hug. A minute later and he felt Hinata pull him closer, no, he was _pushed_ closer as Kobayashi joined the hug too. It drew out a hysterical laugh from Tadashi’s throat and in response, the arms (two sets) tightened around him.

 

Hinata turned his head to the side, ear against Tadashi’s chest. Maybe the shorter boy could hear his heart beating, beating, beating, breaking. The decoy let out a shuddering breath, “I could. I could definitely love you. You are very easy to love and so, so, so worthy of it.”

 

That drove the knife in a bit more, but it didn’t twist it; when Kei turned him down, he had said that Tadashi was great but didn’t use the term “worthy.” And as someone who had struggled with self-confidence and self-love his whole life, that word meant everything to him at that moment.

 

“I actually. I had a bit of a crush on you. Um. Towards the end of last year,” the boy added, voice an embarrassed whisper, “I only…I stopped thinking about it because I didn’t, I figured you were with Tsukishima and by the time he told us he was aro-ace, I had moved on.”

 

Well, damn. Shit. Wow.

 

“Cofermdadatu,” was spoken directly into Tadashi’s hair. Oh right, Kobayashi was here too. Really really close.

 

“What was that, Kobayashi?” Tadashi’s voice sounded all raw and scratchy. He didn’t bother to clear his throat, though, figuring that he’d probably wind up crying later anyway.

 

Kobayashi uttered a grunt and hunched down slightly, curling his arms tighter around the two shorter boys in his hold.

 

Hinata’s head flipped so that his face was directed more towards his boyfriend, “Taka?”

 

A deep sigh and the boy mumbled, “I _said_ , could just date him too.”

 

Whothewhatnow?

 

“TAKA!”

 

“What? He likes you. You liked him or like him, could love him maybe. Date him. I mean, keep dating me, too, but also him. If you want. I’ll share. If you want.”

 

Did he hear that correctly? Was Hinata considering it? Because if he wanted it…Tadashi wanted it, TADASHI REALLY WANTED IT! And if Hinata ALSO wanted then? Maybe? Was…was Tadashi breathing? Was Hinata breathing? Was Kobayashi breathing? Oh this was all a dream, wasn’t it? A terrible long evil cruel dream where—

 

“’S good. Okay. Yeah. Let’s do that. If Tadashi wan—“

 

“YES!”

 

“Okay.” 

 

“Okay.”

 

“So…wait. So. I’m dating Hinata now. Who is dating you. Who is not dating me, but doesn’t want me to not-date Hinata.”

 

“Mmmhmm. And I’m dating you and Taka and Taka’s dating me. And not-dating you.”

 

“That’s gonna be weird.”

 

“Would it be less weird if you were dating Taka too?"

 

“No. Maybe. I don’t really know him that well.”

 

“He’s great!”

 

“Thanks, Shou.”

 

“No problem. Love you, Taka. Um..like you, Tada-kun.” 

 

“Oh. Like you, too…Shou-chan.”

 

Kobayashi grinned widely at the other two, “I’m sure we’ll get the hang of it with some practice. That’s what coach always says.”

**Author's Note:**

> I planned on Yamahina with jealous Yamaguchi, but then I developed a lot of love for Kobayashi? Oops. He's just so big and pure and dumb and good for Hinata??? I love him. I made him too good and I am not sorry.  
> I was originally gonna have him need to move away and Hinata would break up with him because neither of them felt like they could handle a long-distance relationship. It would have been amicable, but still painful obviously. But then I was like WAIT! Hinata has TWO HANDS! And thus YamaHinaYashi was born.


End file.
